


Now What?

by blueskydog



Series: Question Marks [6]
Category: Bones (TV)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-08-24 02:51:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16631468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueskydog/pseuds/blueskydog
Summary: Zack escapes the "Looney Bin" to help his friends solve the mystery. Now they have to figure out what to do with him.





	Now What?

“Alright!” Booth said, clapping Zack on the shoulder. “Case solved. Now, you,” he said, waving over at Sweets, “take this jailbird back to the institution.”

“No!” Brennan said. The others looked at her, taken aback by the ferocity of her response. She cleared her throat. “No,” she said more calmly. “I trust that Zack is absolutely correct in his observations. However, there are a number of remaining variables that may change the current circumstances. I believe it would be most beneficial for Zack to remain in our company until we have the murderer apprehended. He may still be able to help us.”

Booth and Sweets looked at her askance.

“So what exactly are we going to do with him while you’re off bagging the perp?” Sweets asked.

“We can’t take him with us on an investigation,” Booth said, planting his hands on the bone table. “He’s a liability, an institutionalized killer, and an escapee. There will be cops and agents everywhere.”

“He can stay at the lab. Sweets can watch him.”

“What? No.” Sweets put a hand up. “I don’t think so. I won’t be party to this utter disregard for protocol.”

“Referring to me in the third person while I’m still in the room seems a little rude to me,” Zack said. “I’ve been doing a lot of reading in the looney bin about interpersonal—”

“Okay, fine, he stays,” Booth said. He looked to Brennan firmly. “But if anything happens, it’s on you.”

“What exactly do you expect to happen?” Brennan asked, meeting his gaze. “I highly doubt someone as practical and intelligent as Zack would escape the institution, risking his own security to help us catch a murderer, only to harm any of us after the fact.”

“She’s right. It wouldn’t make sense,” Zack said. “It would be counter-intuitive.”

“Yeah, well, stabbing a lobbyist doesn’t really make sense either,” Booth said, raising himself from the table to his full height.

Sweets glanced from Booth to Brennan to Zack, waiting for the fallout of this statement. Brennan had her jaw set in the way she usually did when she was fighting to stay in control of a situation; Booth was staring down her right ear; Zack was watching her left ear with a relatively blank expression, though Sweets did detect some concern in the young man’s face.

“Uh, hey there.” Angela hurried in. (She’d probably been lurking just past the doorway the entire time.) “I think this is my cue. Booth, don’t worry about it. We’ve got Zack. Hodgins and I will keep an eye on him.”

“Right,” Booth said. “Let him loose with his two best friends.”

Angela put her hands on her hips, head cocked incredulously. “You think we’re going to spirit him away?”

“Once again, I would point out the fact that many of you are talking about me as if I’m not here,” Zack said, crossing his arms (as best he could with the awkward gloves).

Angela gave him a loving glance. “Don’t worry, Zack. We’re not going to make you go back any sooner than you need to.”

“You don’t really have a say in that, Angela,” Booth said. “I’m the authority here. I can make the decision and none of you would be able to do a thing about it.”

“But you wouldn’t,” Angela said. “You wouldn’t do something to hurt us. And hurting Zack is hurting us.”

“I doubt Agent Booth would use unnecessary force in apprehending me,” Zack said, “even though our relationship is not what one would call friendly.”

“I don’t mean physically hurt, Zack. I mean emotionally.”

“Didn’t you read about that in one of your books?” Booth asked scathingly.

Angela looked ready to slug the agent. Sweets stepped between them, putting his hands out for order. “You do realize that the more we argue about this, we’re giving more time for the killer to make herself scarce?”

“Yes, Booth,” Brennan said, finally speaking up and turning to him. “Why waste time arguing? You know I’m right. Zack should stay until we definitively close this case.”

Booth looked from her to Zack, Zack to Sweets, Sweets to Angela, and back to Zack.

“Okay, fine,” he said. He didn’t particularly like the defiance in Brennan and Angela’s faces, or the tiny shred of hope in Zack’s, or the slow shaking of Sweets’ head. But he had to make a decision.

“Sweets, head back to the looney bin and meet us there. Cover for us in case someone notices he’s gone.”

“Cover for you how?” Sweets demanded.

“You’re a smart kid, you’ll think of something. Angela,” Booth gave her his best stern FBI face, “I am letting you and Hodgins take Zack. But _only_ if Cam goes with you. Got it?”

“Got it.” Angela broke into a grin. She swept over to Zack, wrapping her arm around his and sharing a triumphant smile with Brennan.

 “Come on, Zack.” She led him out of the room. “Let’s find Hodgins. We’ll take you anywhere you want.”

“The diner,” Zack said. “I like the diner.”


End file.
